Mystery
by J. B. Tilton
Summary: The Enterprise is sent to investigate a planet where two Star Fleet ships have mysteriously vanished.
1. Chapter 1

ENTERPRISE

"Mystery"

By J. B. Tilton

Ratingl: K

Disclaimer: "Star Trek", "Enterprise", and all related characters and events are the sole property of Paramount Pictures, Inc., except for those specifically created by me for this story. This is fan fiction and no infringement of copyright is intended.

The Enterprise is sent to investigate a planet where two Star Fleet ships have mysteriously vanished.

ONE

"Captain Archer to the bridge."

Archer left his ready room and headed to the bridge. As he stepped onto the bridge everyone was busy at their stations. T'Pol looked up at him as he took his place in the command chair.

"Is everything ready?" he asked as he sat down.

"Yes," said T'Pol. "Commander Tucker has just informed me that he is ready to deploy on your orders."

"Good," said Archer. "As soon as we get the transceiver in place we'll see if it works the way Star Fleet hopes. It will go a long way in helping us stay in contact with Earth while we're exploring."

"Admiral Spencer said he would be standing by at Star Fleet Headquarters for our first communiqué once the transceiver has been deployed," said Hoshi. "It took seven hours for the message to reach us this far out. If the specifications for the transceiver are accurate there should be no noticeable delay in the transmissions."

Archer pressed a button on his command chair.

"Archer to engineering. Trip, are we ready to deploy?"

"Aye, Cap'n," responded Trip. "Just give the word and we can launch."

"Consider the word given, Commander," said Archer.

They all waited patiently as Trip launched the transceiver. It would take a few minutes for it to deploy and for the proper protocols to be established. When it was finished he would contact the bridge to let them know.

"Tucker to bridge," he said finally. "The transceiver is in position. I've done a systems and diagnostics check and it appears to be in perfect working order. Hoshi, it's all yours."

"Understood, Commander," said Hoshi. She activated her console. "Sir, we're ready."

"Enterprise to Star Fleet Command," said Archer. "Admiral Spencer this is Captain Archer."

For a moment nothing happened. Then Spencer's voice came in loud and clear over the radio as the view screen came to life showing the Admiral.

"Enterprise, this is Spencer. Congratulations, Captain. My technicians tell me the new transceiver appears to be working perfectly."

"I'm told the same thing on my end, Admiral," said Archer. "Sounds like we won't have to wait half a day to receive responses to our messages either way."

"My congratulations to your entire crew, Captain. They've all done an admirable job. Star Fleet is very pleased with the job you've done."

"Thank you, Admiral. I'll be sure to pass that on to the entire crew."

"Captain, as long as I have you on the line, so to speak, I might as well inform you of your next mission. Star Fleet wants to you proceed to a system near you. I'm sending the coordinates and all relevant data now. Your orders are to investigate and report back on what you find there."

"Certainly Admiral," said Archer as Hoshi nodded indicating she was receiving the information. "Anything in particular you want us to be looking for?"

"Two Star Fleet vessels," said Spencer. "The first is the Republic. It was a science vessel that was investigating that region of space about thirty years ago. They reported finding the system and then all contact was lost with it. Another ship, the Valiant, was sent to investigate. It reported finding the same system but was never heard from again. That was almost fifteen years ago. Because of the distance from Earth it was decided not to risk a third expedition. Our fastest ships, aside from the Enterprise, take more than ten years to get there. Star Fleet figures that since you're all ready out there – and with the new transceiver allowing us nearly instantaneous communication – it might be a good idea for you to check it out."

"Certainly Admiral," said Archer. "We'll be glad to run over and have a look."

"Captain, our main concern is to discover what happened to those two ships," said Spencer. "We don't want you to take any unnecessary risks. If there are survivors and you can rescue them then by all means do so. But this is strictly a recon mission. Just find out what's going on and report back to Star Fleet Command as soon as you can."

"Understood Admiral," said Archer. "We'll check it out and let you know what we find out."

"Thank you, Captain," said Spencer. "And again congratulations on a job well done with the transceiver."

The view screen went blank.

"Hoshi," said Archer, "bring the information Admiral Spencer sent to the briefing room. Let's see what we're up against. Everyone in the briefing room in twenty minutes."


	2. Chapter 2

TWO

"According to the information Admiral Spencer sent us," said Hoshi when they had gathered in the briefing room, "the Republic was purely a science vessel. It was designed for deep space exploration. It had a maximum speed of warp 2. The Valiant was a starship that was retrofitted as a rescue vessel. It also had a maximum speed of warp 2. Both ships reported finding the system and were moving in to investigate and then neither was heard from again."

"According to the schematics," said Lieutenant Reed, "both were minimally armed compared to the Enterprise. The Republic had a compliment of totally science personnel. The Valiant carried a compliment of marines since they weren't sure what to expect."

"Any indication what might have happened to either ship?" Archer asked.

"None, sir," said T'Pol. "This part of the galaxy is still largely unexplored. Not even a Vulcan ship has been in this area. The system is approximately eighty seven light years from Earth. Very little is known about this particular region."

"The Republic was sent to investigate some sort of radio signal picked up by Star Fleet Command," said Hoshi. "They were never able to decipher the signal but it was definitely artificial. Star Fleet figured there was a civilization out here and the Republic was sent to investigate and make contact."

"What do you think happened to 'em, Cap'n?" Trip asked.

"That's hard to say," said Archer. "Star Fleet simply lost contact. It's possible there is some type of natural phenomenon that is interfering with radio transmissions."

"Then why haven't they returned?" Travis asked. "Why didn't they just fly out of the interference and return to Earth?"

"That's what we're out here to find out, Travis," said Archer. "We could speculate all day but without more information we're no closer to solving this mystery than we are now."

"Well, whatever might be interfering with radio communications," said Hoshi, "we may not have the same problem. Our radios are much more advanced than they were even ten years ago."

"That would depend on the interference," said T'Pol. "There are areas where even Vulcan radios will not function."

"How long before we reach the system reported by the Republic?" Archer asked.

"At warp 4 about three hours," said Travis. "Long range sensors have detected an asteroid field between us and there but it won't be hard to navigate around."

"Good," said Archer. "Malcolm, double check the weapons and defensive systems. If there is anything out there we need to be ready in case they prove hostile. Trip, make sure the engines are working at optimal efficiency. Whatever kept the Republic and Valiant from returning home I don't want it to happen to us."

"Aye, Cap'n," said Trip.

"T'Pol, let's have all sensors operating at full capacity," said Archer. "I want to get as much information about the surrounding area as we can. If we can't find out what happened to those two ships at least we might be able to get enough information for Star Fleet to analyze."

"Yes, Captain," said T'Pol.

"Hoshi, you'll need to stay on top of communications," said Archer. "I want to know of any problems no matter how small they are."

"Yes, sir," said Hoshi.

"I'll have sickbay ready for any emergency," said Phlox. "If there are any survivors from either of those ships they may be in need of medical attention."

"Well, I guess we should be heading in," said Archer. "Everyone stay alert. And I want the entire crew on duty when we enter that system. The more we know about what's going on the better we'll be able to do our jobs. Dismissed."

It was just under three hours later when the Enterprise entered the system. Sensors had not detected anything unusual in or near the system. It contained five planets. As they passed the outer most planet Archer instructed Hoshi to contact Admiral Spencer.

"Sir," said Hoshi, "I can't raise Star Fleet Command. The radio signal keeps bouncing back."

"I am detecting an ionizing field just past the outer planet," said T'Pol.

"Why didn't sensors detect it before?" Archer asked.

"Unknown sir," said T'Pol. "It is a most unusual ionizing affect. I have not seen anything like it before. It is possible that the specific frequency of radiation of this ion field has never been catalogued before. All radio signals and sensor scans are being reflected back into the system."

"Well that explains why Star Fleet lost radio contact," said Travis. "If radio signals can't penetrate the ionizing field they wouldn't have any way to contact Earth."

"What about sensor scans into the system itself?" Archer asked.

"They appeared to be unhindered," said T'Pol. "The second planet appears to be Class M. Oxygen/nitrogen atmosphere with gravity roughly equal to that of Earth. And sir I'm detecting an object in orbit around the planet."

"An object?" questioned Archer.

"Confirmed," said Trip. "Sir, it appears to be about the size of a Star Fleet starship. It's in high orbit around the planets equator."

"Any life signs?" Archer asked.

"Negative," said T'Pol. "And there appears to be only minimal energy output. I would estimate the energy output is insufficient to sustain life support."

"Hoshi, any radio contact?" Archer asked.

"No sir," said Hoshi.

"What about a transponder signal?" Archer asked.

"I'm not detecting any transponder," said Malcolm. "I suppose it's possible the low energy output is preventing the transponder from functioning. It appears to have suffered numerous impacts from meteors, sir. I'm detecting a radiation leak from her starboard nacelle."

"Is it dangerous?" Archer asked.

"Yes sir," said Trip. "I'm also detecting radiation leaks throughout the ship including the bridge and engineering. I wouldn't suggest going over there without a protection suit."

"Take us into a parallel orbit to the ship," said Archer. "Let's see if we can figure out who it is from a visual look."

Travis moved the Enterprise into orbit behind the orbiting ship. He matched the speed and trajectory of the ship. It didn't take them long to identify the ship. Stenciled across the saucer section was the name "Valiant".

"Well, we found the Valiant," said Archer. "What about the Republic?"

"No sign of it sir," said Malcolm.

"I am picking up a large amount of debris on the planets' surface," said T'Pol. "Sensor readings indicate the mass and materials are similar to those used in construction of Star Fleet vessels."

"You mean it crashed on the surface?" Hoshi asked.

"Apparently," said T'Pol. "I am detecting much of the superstructure still intact however."

"Trip," said Archer, "prepare a shuttle craft. Let's go down and take a look. Maybe we can find some answers in the parts of the ship that are still intact."

"Aye sir," said Trip heading for the turbolift.

The away party began to prepare for their descent to the surface.


	3. Chapter 3

THREE

"It doesn't look like we're going to find anything of use in this rubble," said Travis as they searched through the wreckage of the ship on the surface. "It looks like this has been lying here for decades."

"It probably has," said Trip. "I've all ready identified several of the components as belonging to the Republic. There's no way to tell what happened; why she crashed. But it looks like it exploded on impact."

"The energy cells are completely drained," said Malcolm. "The fusion reactors are completely fused. Whatever happened they must have put up one hell of a fight. All of the torpedoes are gone and the laser cannons are totally drained."

"Curious," said T'Pol. "Many of the components seem to have been removed."

"She's right, sir," said Trip. "A lot of the components were disconnected and removed. That would seem to indicate that at least some of the crew survived the crash."

"That would be unlikely," said T'Pol. "The pattern of destruction indicates the ship hit with tremendous force. It is highly unlikely that anyone on board would have survived such an impact."

"Maybe they got out in their shuttle craft," offered Travis. "They are missing from the hanger bay. Maybe they abandoned ship and after it crashed they cannibalized whatever was salvageable."

"That is a possibility," said T'Pol. "However the ionizing field also seems to be on the surface. It is not possible to scan for more than a few kilometers in any direction. It was fortunate we were able to detect this ship."

"You mean lucky," said Trip. "It was probably because of the massive amount of alloys used in the ships construction. But T'Pol is right, sir. Our scans are only effective for about three kilometers and even at that distance their accuracy is questionable."

"But someone did remove the components?" Archer questioned.

"Yes, sir," said Trip. "They were disconnected and removed. That wouldn't have happened if they had been ripped out from the crash. Which means there may be a camp or settlement nearby."

"Sickbay has been cleaned out," said Phlox. "As with the bridge some of the medical equipment was disconnected and removed. And all useable medical supplies are also gone. Even with damage as massive as this there would be some remnants of supplies left. The cabinets are all completely bare."

"So apparently some of the crew from the Republic survived the crash," said Archer. "Once the ship crashed they stripped it of anything they found useful and set up a camp somewhere. The question is where?"

"What about those mountains to the north?" Hoshi asked. "There are probably caves in those mountains. It would provide them with shelter until they could build whatever shelters they needed."

"That's as good a place to start as any," said Trip. "But that doesn't explain what happened to the Valiant. Other than the radiation leaks and the damage from meteorites she appeared to be basically intact. Why would they abandon their ship?"

"We might find that out when find the survivors of the Republic," said Archer. "Trip, is there any way to even partial power to the Republic?"

"No sir," said Trip. "The entire computer network is completely fried. And apparently the survivors took the all the data storage units with them."

"Okay," said Archer. "Hoshi, contact Enterprise and have a salvage crew brought down to go over this entire ship. Have them salvage anything they can from the ship. We're going to head to the mountains and see if we can find any sign of any survivors."

"Yes sir," said Hoshi.

"Any survivors may have been here for as long as thirty years," said Archer. "It's possible they may not realize who we are at first. We'll need to be careful if we find anyone. There's not telling how they may have changed in all that time."

"Or of what animal life we may encounter," said Phlox.

"We haven't detected any animal life," said Archer.

"That may be," said Phlox, "but I have detected alien DNA in several areas of the ship. Some of it is quite recent. Very possibly some form of animal life that might be using the ship as a sort of nest."

"Then everyone keep your eyes open," said Archer. "If there is animal life on this planet we don't know if it's hostile or docile. No one take any unnecessary chances."

"Sir," said Travis, "shouldn't we try to contact Star Fleet Command and let them know what we've discovered?"

"Not until we have something to report," said Archer. "So far all we have are two derelict ships. We need to find out what happened to the crew before we can make a report to Admiral Spencer. Everyone get ready. We're heading to the mountains in ten minutes."

It took the shuttle pod less than thirty minutes to reach the mountains to the north. Just as Hoshi had suspected there appeared to be numerous caves capable of holding any survivors of the Republic. But a search of the caves proved to be fruitless. There appeared to be no camp or settlement. And their scans were just as fruitless. For the three kilometers their scanners reached indicated no advanced technology.

"Maybe they went in a different direction from the ship," Trip offered. "Maybe there's some form of shelter somewhere else besides these mountains."

"Our scans did not indicate any form of shelter within walking distance," said T'Pol. "If they had used the shuttle pods we should have detected them with our initial scans. Apparently our surmise that someone survived the crash was incorrect."

"Then what happened to all the equipment that was removed from the ship?" Trip asked. "They weren't knocked loose. They were disconnected and removed. Someone had to do it."

"Uh, sir," said Travis. "Maybe it was them?"

They all turned to see who Travis was talking about. Several meters from them were three humanoid creatures that stood just staring at the group.


	4. Chapter 4

FOUR

"I'm Captain Jonathon Archer of the Earth ship Enterprise."

The creatures were nearly as tall as Archer was. They were dressed in dirty animal skins and their hair hung well below their waists. They were filthy dirty and two of them held rocks in one hand while the third one was holding a broken tree branch. The foremost creature raised its head and howled at the group. Archer noticed a jagged scar on the right side of the creatures' face that ran from the creature's temple to its jaw.

"Captain," said T'Pol, taking Archer's arm to keep him from moving forward, "I do not believe these creatures are intelligent. They appear to be similar to the apes found on Earth."

Archer looked at the three closer. The heavy brow gave mute testimony that if they were intelligent it was little more than that of an animal. They wore no shoes and their three fingered hands had long fingernails very reminiscent of claws.

"I think you're right," said Archer. "Come on everyone. Let's get back to the shuttle pod. Everyone move very slowly. We don't want to spook them. Set phase pistols on stun. If we have to fire try to scare them instead of hurting them."

Slowly the group began to move toward the shuttle pod. They had taken only a couple of steps when the creatures moved forward a couple of steps. They raised their weapons menacingly and all three growled and howled at the group.

Trip raised his phase pistol and fired directly in front of the lead creature. The beam struck the ground directly in front of the creature. The attack startled the creatures and they all retreated several steps. But they refused to back off completely. Slowly the group made their way to the shuttle pod. It took two more shots from the phase pistols to keep the creatures at bay but eventually everyone was safely in the shuttle pod. The shuttle lifted off as the three creatures shook their weapons at it threateningly.

Travis maneuvered the shuttle pod back to the crashed ship. As they approached the ship they saw several of the Enterprise crew rummaging through the rubble of the ship. Archer decided to set down and check in with the crew before they headed out to check on another possible site for a camp for the survivors. As they started exiting the shuttle pod they could see three of the crewmen restraining a fourth who was struggling violently against them.

"What's going on?" Archer demanded as Phlox immediately went to check out the violent crewman.

"I don't know sir," reported Ensign Parker. "We were searching through the rubble as you ordered when suddenly Johnson went crazy. He keeps saying we're all in danger and they're coming to kill us."

"They?" questioned Trip. "They who?"

"That's just it, sir," said Parker. "We haven't seen anyone around. We haven't even detected any insect life. Johnson just kind of snapped."

"We have to get out of here," Johnson was shouting. "We're all going to die. There's no time left. We have to get out. Now. Before it's too late."

Phlox injected Johnson with something and the crewman immediately lost consciousness.

"He's delusional, Captain," Phlox reported. "I'll need to get him back to the ship to run some test to find out what happened. I can't find any trauma or injuries. It is quite possible it's some type of airborne pathogen. I'll need to run some test to be sure."

"Are we in danger?" Hoshi asked.

"That's hard to say, Ensign," said Phlox. "We've all been on the planet's surface longer than Crewman Johnson and none of us seems to be affected."

"Sir," said Crewman Latrelle hesitantly.

"What is it crewman?" Archer asked.

"Sir, I don't know if it's important," said Latrelle, "but just before Mike – I mean, Crewman Johnson – started acting strange I saw something. I'm not sure what it was. I only caught a glimpse of it, sir. But it was directly in front Johnson about four meters away."

"What was it you saw, crewman?" Archer asked.

"I'm not sure, sir," said Latrelle. "Like I said, I only got a glimpse of it. But it appeared to be some kind of floating cloud or something. It was filled with these flashes of different colored lights. It was only there for an instant and then it seemed to move behind one of the bulkheads and vanished. That's when Johnson began screaming and acting strange."

"Thanks, Latrelle," said Archer. "That helps." He turned to T'Pol. "Are you sure the sensors didn't detect any other life forms down here?"

"No, sir, they did not," said T'Pol. "It is possible there is some phenomena that the ships' sensors are not calibrated to detect."

"Sir," said Malcolm looking around suspiciously, "respectfully suggest that all non-essential personnel return to the ship immediately. At least until we can figure out what it is we're dealing with."

"Good idea,' said Archer. "Salvage crew will report back to the ship immediately. Go through full decon procedure and a full medical scan before being released. And have the ship do a full sensor scan of the planet and the surrounding space. Whatever is down here I want to know what it is."

"Aye, sir," said Ensign Parker. "Sir, shouldn't you and the others return to the ship as well?"

"Not right now," said Archer. "We need to find out what's going on down here."

"Captain," said T'Pol, "it is unwise to have the entire senior staff down here at the same time. We do not know how great the danger of contamination is. It would be wise to have one or two return to the ship."

"You might be right," said Archer. "Trip, there's not much you can do down here. Return to the ship and oversee the sensor scans. Travis, you go with him. Keep us informed of anything you find no matter how insignificant it might be."

"I'm going back, too, Captain," said Phlox. "Crewman Johnson needs immediate medical attention. Perhaps I can discover what caused it and determine if anyone else is in danger."

"Good idea," said Archer.

"Come on, then," said Trip. "Let's get back to the ship."

"Latrelle," said Archer. "Which direction did this sparkling cloud head when it moved off?"

"That way, sir," said Latrelle, pointing toward the ship. "It was heading in an easterly direction. I don't know how far it moved, though sir. As I said, it disappeared behind a bulkhead and I never saw it again."

"Thanks," said Archer. "Get back to the ship with the others. The rest of us will see if we can find this mysteriously cloud and figure out what we're dealing with."

"Let's go," ordered Archer. "Let's see if we can find out who – or what – is down here that we haven't been able to detect so far."


	5. Chapter 5

FIVE

Archer and the away team spent nearly three hours searching the area with no results. No cloud even remotely similar to the one described by Latrelle was found. They did have two more encounters with the ape-like creatures they had encountered at the caves but a couple of well placed phase pistol shots seemed enough to keep the creatures at bay. When Archer returned to the Enterprise he went immediately to sickbay.

"How's Johnson?" he asked Phlox as he entered sickbay.

"Crewman Johnson expired shortly after being returned to the Enterprise," said Phlox.

"He's dead?" questioned Archer. "How?"

"Frankly, Captain, that has me puzzled," said Phlox. "I can find no physiological cause for it. He suffered no trauma or injury that I can detect. There are no toxins in his system that I can find. It's as if his body simply shut down."

"You can't find any cause of death?"

"None at all. But during the autopsy I did discover something quite unusual. The frontal lobe of his Cerebrum was very distorted. Almost as if it had suffered some catastrophic trauma although I can find no indication of any trauma whatsoever."

"Could that have been the cause of death?"

"I don't think so," said Phlox. "The frontal lobe in humans is responsible for reasoning, emotions, judgment, and voluntary movement. It wasn't damaged simply extremely malformed. It wouldn't be enough to cause death. But it would account for his bizarre behavior on the planets' surface."

"The delusions you mentioned," said Archer.

"Precisely. The amount and severity of malformation would have been enough to cause permanent insanity in our crewman. Even if he had survived I'm afraid he would have been irreparably insane for the rest of his life."

"What could have caused this malformation?"

"Aside from massive trauma to the brain, nothing I can think of. Certainly nothing like what Crewman Latrelle described. A cloud of sparkling and flashing lights? Hardly enough to cause trauma to the human body and certainly not enough to cause the massive deformation I found in Crewman Johnson's body."

"What about your other tests?" Archer asked. "Have you detected anything harmful on the planet's surface?"

"Nothing of consequence," said Phlox. "Oh, there were a few alien microbes in the samples I've collected from the crew but nothing harmful. It's quite a mystery, Captain."

"Thank you, Doctor," said Archer. "Coordinate your efforts with Sub-Commander T'Pol's sensor readings of the planet. There might be something we haven't been able to detect yet."

"Certain, Captain."

Archer left sickbay and headed for the bridge. As he exited the turbolift everyone on the bridge was busy at their station. T'Pol looked up as Archer stepped onto the bridge.

"Report."

"Nothing of significance to report regarding the sensor scans," said T'Pol dispassionately. "We have been able to realign the sensors and better penetrate the interference we've been experiencing. So far, besides the remains of the Republic we have been unable to discover anything of significance."

"Hoshi, what about the ionizing field?" Archer asked. "Have you been able to get a message through to Star Flee Command yet?"

"No sir," reported the communications officer. "Nothing I've tried seems to work. If we're going to establish radio contact we'll have to get on the other side of the field."

"Sir," said Travis, "do you think that what happened to the Republic and the Valiant could be happening to us?"

"That's hard to say, Travis," said Archer. "Trip, have we been able to learn anything new about the Valiant?"

"Some," said Trip. "We've been able to scan the ship areas that aren't affected by the radiation. It's not a pretty picture, sir. From what I can determine it looks like someone opened every airlock on the ship. The warp core was shut down and the plasma from the engines was redirected into the ventilation system. Most of the crew would have died within minutes."

"Do you think it was deliberate?" Archer asked.

"It had to be," said Trip. "But that's just crazy, sir. Whoever did it would have been the first one to die. The ship's position has kept it in orbit but it's slowly degrading. It's only a matter of time before the planet's gravitational affect pulls it down like the Republic."

"Have we determined why the Republic crashed?" Archer asked.

"Yes sir," said T'Pol. "Scans indicate that many of the stations on the bridge were subjected to multiple laser blasts. Including the helm. There would have been no way for the crew to control the ship. As Commander Tucker stated the gravitational affect of the planet would have pulled it to the planet's surface."

"So both ships were destroyed by sabotage," said Archer.

"It appears that way, sir," said Malcolm. "What could have caused someone to sabotage two Star Fleet vessels?"

"I don't know, Malcolm," said Archer. "But the answer has to be down on that planet. Hoshi, prepare a probe. Program it to get beyond the ionizing field and radio Star Fleet Command with all the information we have so far."

"Aye, sir," said Hoshi.

"T'Pol, there has to be something on the planet that's causing all this," said Archer. "Considering Crewman Johnson's reaction I'm willing to bet it's somewhere near the Republic. I want you to rescan the entire area around that ship. Let me know what you find out no matter how small or inconsequential."

"Yes sir," replied T'Pol.

"Malcolm, I want you to outfit an away team with phase pistols," said Archer. "Make sure they are all fully charged and fully functional."

"Right away sir," said Malcolm.

"As soon as T'Pol is finished with her scans we're going to see if we can't find some answers down there," said Archer.

"Sir," said Trip, "is that a good idea? Whatever appears to have infected the crews of the Republic and the Valiant might infect our crew."

"Dr. Phlox assures me that the contamination is minimal," said Archer.

"Still," said T'Pol, "we should take precautions. Commander Tucker is correct. We still do not know what happened to the crews of those ships."

"We'll take every precaution," said Archer. "But a member of my crew is dead and I mean to find out why. I'll be in my ready room. Let me know as soon as you find something."

"Yes sir," said T'Pol as Archer exited the bridge heading for his ready room.


	6. Chapter 6

SIX

Archer stepped off the shuttle pod with phase pistol in hand. He looked around the countryside. They were standing a few meters from a small wooded area.

"Are you sure these are the coordinates?" he asked.

"Yes sir," said T'Pol. "As I explained, there is an almost imperceptible energy signature located within these woods. We were unable to detect it until I recalibrated the sensors. However, the energy output is negligible."

"It's all we have," said Archer. "Are you detecting anything?"

"Negative, sir," said T'Pol, checking her tricorder. "I am still detecting the energy signature but it is decentralized. I cannot get a fix on its precise location."

"Maybe it's shielded," said Trip. "That might be why it's just barely registering."

"What about those creatures we encountered?" Archer asked. "Any sign of them?"

"There are a few nearby," said Malcolm. "But they seem to be keeping their distance. I think maybe they remember the phase pistol blasts. They're probably afraid of us."

I just hope we don't see any of them," said Crewman Latrelle. "They sound very dangerous."

"Just keep your phase pistol handy, crewman," said Archer. "If you see what you saw at the Republic let us know immediately. It has to be connected to this somehow."

Cautiously the group moved into the woods. It wasn't a very thick woods. The trees were spaced far enough apart that it would be difficult for any one hiding in them to sneak up on the group. As long as they were observant.

They moved through the woods following T'Pol's tricorder readings. Although she couldn't get an exact location on the power signature it seemed to emanate strongest from deeper inside the woods. As they moved deeper into the woods Malcolm informed the captain that more of the creatures seemed to be gathering around them. They all appeared to be several meters away apparently unwilling to encounter the phase pistols again.

"Sir," said Trip, "I think I see something just ahead. It looks like an opening of some kind."

A moment later the group stepped into a small clearing. Just ahead about four meters was an extremely small structure; no larger than a closet in one of the crews quarters on the Enterprise. There was an opening about two meters high and one meter wide more than reminiscent to a doorway. It was dark inside the structure but Archer thought he could see steps leading down. There were some strange symbols over the top of the doorway.

"Your sensors didn't detect this?" he asked T'Pol.

"No sir," said T'Pol. "However, my readings seem to indicate that the source of the energy signature is inside that structure. Interesting. The structure does not appear to be large enough to house technology capable of producing such an energy signature."

"I think it's an entrance," said Archer. "There appear to be steps leading down into the ground. There's probably some kind of underground complex at the foot of those stairs."

"That would explain why we're having trouble locking onto the energy signature," said Trip. "If it's far enough underground our sensors wouldn't be able to penetrate deep enough to get any intelligent readings."

"It could also explain why there are no signs of civilization on the surface," said T'Pol. "Whatever civilization exists on this planet may be completely subterranean."

"What do you think they're like, Captain?" Hoshi asked. "A culture that lives underground?"

"I don't know, Hoshi," said Archer. "I'd like to know why they live underground. There doesn't seem to be anything on the surface that would prevent them from living there."

"Perhaps there are some environmental or atmospheric conditions which are hostile to them," offered Phlox. "It is possible they once lived on the surface and chose to move underground for some reason."

"That is highly unlikely," said T'Pol. "We have found no evidence of even an ancient civilization anywhere on the surface. Considering that a civilization may have existed on the surface thousands of years ago there would have been some remnants of them even if they had moved underground."

"Maybe some natural disaster destroyed the surface," suggested Malcolm. "It could have happened thousands or even tens of thousands of years ago. That could have obliterated any signs they once lived on the surface."

"Well whatever the reason I think we'll find it at the bottom of those stairs," said Archer. "And I think we'll find out what happened to the Republic and the Valiant as well. Come on. Let's find out who – or what – lives beneath the surface of this planet."

The group started to move forward when T'Pol suddenly stopped and looked around.

"What is it, T'Pol?" Archer asked.

"Didn't you hear that?" T'Pol asked.

"Hear what?" Travis asked. "I didn't hear anything."

"I distinctly heard someone tell us not to go down those stairs," said T'Pol.

"I think you're hearing things," said Trip. "I didn't hear anything either."

"There it is again," said T'Pol. "Captain, you can't hear it?"

"I didn't hear anything," said Archer. "T'Pol, are you all right?"

"Yes sir," said T'Pol. "However, I believe I know why no one else is hearing the voice. I believe that someone is communicating with me telepathically."

"You mean directly to your mind?" Travis asked. "Is that really possible?"

"There are several species with telepathic abilities in the galaxy," said Phlox. "In fact, many Vulcans have exhibited telepathic abilities. It is quite possible the species that inhabits this planet are also telepathic."

"Whomever it is they clearly do not wish us to enter that structure," said T'Pol.

"I'll be they don't," said Archer. "They don't want us to discover they murdered the crews of two ships."

"No," said a voice from behind them. "To prevent the death of your crew, Captain Archer. We do not wish that what befell the two previous crews to befall your crew."

They all turned to see who had spoken. Stepping out from behind a tree about three meters away was one of the creatures that inhabited this planet. As they stared at the creature Archer noticed a scar running down the right side of the creature's face. The same scar that he had seen on the face of one of the creatures they had encountered at the caves.


	7. Chapter 7

SEVEN

Malcolm immediately brought his phase pistol up. He stepped forward placing himself between the creature and Captain Archer.

"Careful sir," said Malcolm. "This . . . creature could be responsible for everything that's going on here."

"We don't know that, Lieutenant," said Archer.

"Unfortunately, your lieutenant is correct," said the creature. "However unintentional it was I am responsible for the death of your crewman. Or rather my race is responsible."

"Who are you?" Archer asked. "What do you have to do with one of my crewman dying? And do you have any connection to the deaths of the crews of the Republic and the Valiant?"

"I have come to answer all of your questions, Captain Archer," said the creature. "However I must ask that you do not enter the structure ahead. If you do we cannot be held responsible for the consequences."

"Malcolm, stand down," said Archer. "If he were any threat I doubt he'd be standing there admitting it to us right now."

Malcolm looked at Archer and then at the creature. Reluctantly he lowered his phase pistol and stepped back. But he watched the creature intently waiting for any sign of aggression.

"Now, answer my questions," said Archer. "Who are you?"

"I have no name," said the creature. "You can call me Kos if you like. My people have no need for such designations, I'm afraid."

"Your people?" questioned T'Pol. "When we encountered you before you appeared to be nothing more than an animal."

"Yes," said Kos. "I'm afraid when you first encountered the indigenous inhabitants of this planet we were as yet unaware of your presence. Once we became aware of your presence it became necessary to establish communications with you. Unfortunately it took me some time to master this form of communication. The inhabitants of the surface have no such form of communication. It was a bit difficult for me to learn its usage."

"The inhabitants of the surface?" questioned Hoshi. "You don't live on the surface?"

"No," said Kos. "My species lives below the surface. Through the entrance before you. From time to time it becomes necessary for us to affect the joining so that we may interact with the inhabitants on the surface."

"The joining?" Archer questioned.

"Yes," said Kos. "Let me see if I can explain it in a way which you will understand. My people are non-corporeal. What you would call energy beings. We inhabit the subterranean portion of this planet. This creature – the corporeal one standing before you – is one of those that inhabit the surface. We live with them in a quasi-symbiotic relationship of sorts."

"You inhabit the body of this creature to interact with the physical world," said T'Pol.

"Yes," said Kos. "In our true form we are incapable of interacting with the physical world because we are beings of pure energy. By joining with the surface inhabitants we are better able to interact with the physical world."

"What does that have to do with Johnson's death?" Trip asked. "Did you try to inhabit him and it killed him?"

"No," said Kos. "Unfortunately Crewman Johnson had the misfortune of seeing one of our people in our true form. I'm afraid it had a very unfortunate physical affect on him."

"The malformation of the temporal lobe," said Phlox.

"Precisely," said Kos. "Before your race came to this planet we had no idea our physical form would have such an affect on a corporeal creature. It does not affect the surface inhabitants in this way. But your race appears to be susceptible to our physical form in an disagreeable manor."

"I'd call death and insanity disagreeable," said Travis.

"Is that what happened to the Republic and Valiant?" Archer asked.

"Unfortunately yes," said Kos. "When the crew from the Republic landed here we had never had visitors to our planet before. We were unaware that other intelligent life existed beyond the confines of our own planet. When we attempted to make contact we had no idea that the sight of our true form would cause insanity in your species. By the time we had discerned what had happened it was too late. The ship had descended through the atmosphere and crashed where you found it."

"What about the Valiant?" Malcolm asked.

"We had not expected another ship to visit us," said Kos. "When the Valiant arrived we attempted to make contact without showing our true form. However, as with your Crewman Johnson, some of them accidentally saw some of us in our true form. Before we could stop them they returned to their shuttle pod and left the surface. We were unable to prevent the destruction of that ship as well."

"I don't understand," said Phlox. "How could the mere sight of your true form cause the form of insanity we witnessed in Crewman Johnson?"

"We are unable to answer that," said Kos. "We are inexperienced with physical medicine. We simply have no need for such inventions. We have been able to determine that the specific waves of light emitted by our true form seem to affect the brain functions of your species. It somehow causes portions of your human brains to become malformed.

"When the first ship crashed we were able to rescue some of the inhabitants. Unfortunately even our mental abilities were incapable to save the crewmen. We reached into their minds and attempted to repair the damage we had done but it proved insufficient to the task."

"You can heal people mentally?" Hoshi asked.

"Not exactly," said Kos. "But with the surface inhabitants we are able to use our mental abilities to enhance their natural healing abilities. Unfortunately it did not work with the crew of the Republic. None survived.

"We did learn some things from our attempts. We learned that those of the Republic that had seen us in our true form considered us to be ugly in the extreme. This intrigued us. We have no such concepts as beauty and ugliness. There is much about your species that intrigues us."

"So Johnson's death," said Archer. "It was unintentional?"

"Completely," said Kos. "We regret his death and the deaths of the two previous crews. Had we been aware of the affect our true form has on your species we would never have approached them in that form. We were unaware you have come to our planet until Crewman Johnson had inadvertently seen one of us on the surface. They immediately informed us of your presence and it was decided that I should come and try to establish contact with you."

Archer looked around. Several of the creatures similar to Kos were beginning to move towards them. All had some type of weapon and were make obviously aggressive gestures. In a few moments the creatures would gather their courage and attack.

"I think we'd better get out of here," said Archer. "It appears that none of the other inhabitants are part of this joining you mentioned."

"No, they are not," said Kos. "The surface inhabitants are simple brutes. They react out of instinct rather than reason. They will eventually develop intelligence but that time is many thousands – if not tens of thousands – of years in the future."

"If we stay here we might have no choice but to defend ourselves, sir," said Malcolm.

"Exactly what I was thinking," said Archer.

"Well you cannot go into the underground complex," said Kos. "My people live down there. The risk to you would just be too great. We do no wish any more of you to end up like your Crewman Johnson."

"Let's get back to the shuttle pod," said Archer. "We can finish this on the Enterprise."

The group turned and began to head back to the shuttle pod hoping the creatures around them would remain afraid long enough for them to reach the safety of the Enterprise.


	8. Chapter 8

EIGHT

"Your ship is quite comfortable," said Kos after they had gathered in the briefing room. "It was difficult to determine the exact structure of the ship from the wreckage below."

"We like it," said Archer. "She's the only warp 5 capable ship in Earth's fleet. Hopefully there will be more soon."

"You're a very ingenious race, Captain," said Kos. "I have no doubt you will accomplish your goals very soon."

"We find your race very intriguing," said Archer. "Our mission is to seek out other life forms so that we can learn from them. And perhaps we can teach them some things as well."

"There is not doubt you can teach us much," said Kos. "As I said, we have no concepts that you corporeal beings have. Love, hate, jealousy, envy, these are all concepts that hold no meaning for us. We would be eager to learn all that you can teach us about them."

"What do you call your race?" Travis asked. "You keep referring to yourselves as the inhabitants of the subterranean caverns. I've never heard you mention a name for your species."

"Again, we have no such concept for this," said Kos. "As energy beings we are able to communicate on what you would call a telepathic level. We have never found need to name ourselves. Just as we have never found the need to give ourselves individual names as you do. I suppose if we are to have any kind of interaction between our two species it will be necessary for us to have a name."

"Well we can't just say hey you," said Trip. "It wouldn't be polite."

"What about Medusa?" suggested Crewman Latrelle.

"Medusa?" questioned Kos. "That has an intriguing sound. From where does it come?"

"I'm not sure it's really appropriate," said Archer. "It's from an ancient Earth myth. Medusa was a Gorgon, a mythical creature that turned men to stone if they gazed in her eyes."

"Intriguing," said Kos. "I suppose considering what happened to the previous crews that came here it is not altogether inaccurate."

"I suppose it's as good a name as any," said Trip. "I guess they have the right to call themselves whatever they want, Cap'n."

"I can't argue with that," said Archer. "Well, if you don't mind being called a Medusan I suppose we can live with it. And I guess we can't hold you responsible for what happened to the Republic and the Valiant. From what you told us it wasn't intentional."

"No, Captain, it wasn't," said Kos. "I realize that nothing can repay you for the lives that were lost. But perhaps we can make a recompense for that loss. Some form of compensation so to speak."

"Well, I can tell you that Star Fleet doesn't ask for compensation for accidents," said Archer. "It was unintentional and they'll understand that. Accidents happen. No one can blame you for that."

"Most gracious, Captain," said Kos. "Then perhaps some exchange of knowledge and information. Our travels have been limited to those planets within our own system. We would welcome the chance to interact with another intelligent race."

"You have visited the other planets in your system?" questioned T'Pol. "We have not detected any form of technology on the planet least of all any type of interplanetary conveyance."

"In our natural form we have no need of such devices," said Kos. "As energy beings we are capable of transversing the distance between planets easily. We are able to identify and negotiate electromagnetic fields more accurately than your mechanical devices are able to do."

"Interesting," said T'Pol. "It might be possible to adapt this ability to the navigational arrays for a ship. That could make navigating between different systems more efficient."

"We would be quite pleased to help in any way we can," said Kos. "Perhaps an exchange between our two civilizations that would be mutually beneficial."

"I think that could be arranged," said Archer. "In your joined state it should be quite easy to transport you back to Earth."

"That would not be possible," said Kos. "The joining is only a mental one. And it cannot be maintained indefinitely. Eventually I would have to return to my natural form or I would cease to exist."

"Then perhaps you could use your ability to move through space to go to Earth," said Trip. "We wouldn't need to transport you at all. You could just do it yourself."

"That is also not an option," said Kos. "Our ability to traverse space is limited to what you would call sub-light travel. Not even in our natural form are we able to exceed the speed of light. It is why we have never left the confines of our own system. TO journey to even the nearest star would require thousands of years."

"Well, I'm sure something can be arranged," said Archer. "Now that we're aware of your existence we can make sure that any future expeditions to your world take whatever precautions are necessary to prevent what happened in the past."

"It may even be possible to design some form of shielding that would prevent accidental exposure," said Phlox.

"You think that's possible?" Kos asked.

"Well, if it's the lights of your true form that causes the damage," said Phlox, "I should think it would be possible to devise some form of filter that would filter out the harmful affects. It would require a great deal of research but I don't see why it shouldn't be possible. Now that I know the cause of Crewman Johnson's death I can reexamine the autopsy and his body. Something there might help."

"We would be willing to assist in any way we can," said Kos. "As well as return all of the equipment we removed from the crashed ship."

"You removed those items?" Trip asked.

"Yes," said Kos. "After the crew had died we became extremely curious about them. So we removed anything that we thought would be of use in learning about you. I shall see that all of the items are returned to you immediately including your information storage devices."

"We would appreciate it," said Archer. "What about the ionizing field at the edge of the system? Is that a natural occurring phenomenon?'

"Yes, it is," said Kos. "It has been there as long as our collective memory can remember. It is another reason we have not left our own system. We are incapable of physically passing through the barrier."

"Well," said Trip, "now that we know about it Star Fleet can send a science vessel to investigate it. There might be some way to penetrate the barrier without having to physically pass through it."

"It would seem," said Kos, "that there are a great many things your scientists have to examine here. I believe it will be necessary for them to establish a permanent encampment on the surface."

"It seems so," said Archer.

"They may use the site of the Republic as that encampment," said Kos. "I shall inform my people that they are not to go to the site unless they are joined. That should prevent any accidental exposure to our true form and prevent a repeat of what happened with the previous crews."

"We can set up a well defined perimeter around the site," said Archer. "That will prevent anyone in the camp from accidentally moving too far away and coming into contact that way."

"It seems we think much alike, Captain Archer," said Kos. "It will be necessary for me to return to my people to make the necessary arrangements. And I will arrange for the items from the ship to be returned immediately. Perhaps you could return later and we could continue our chat. I am finding it most enlightening."

"I'd be glad to," said Archer. "We need to pass through the barrier and make a report to Star Fleet Command. I'm sure they'll want to send a ship right away. Of course it may take them a while to get here. The best speed any other Star Fleet ship can make is warp 2."

"It might be possible to leave a shuttle pod with them," said T'Pol. "Then perhaps they could use the pod to leave the system and communicate directly with Star Fleet until the ship arrives."

"We have two shuttle pods," said Kos. "They were among the wreckage of the Republic."

"Well, I'll take a look at them," said Trip. "If they can be repaired they can use one of those. It should be easy enough to teach them how to operate and maintain them."

"That would be most appreciative," said Kos.

"Trip, see that Kos makes it back safely to the surface," said Archer. "As soon as you return we'll leave the system and make our report to Star Fleet Command. Then we'll come back and continue our talk with Kos."

"Aye, sir," said Trip. "The shuttle pod will be ready to leave in about fifteen minutes."

"Thank you, Captain," said Kos. "I shall look forward to your return."

"It will be my pleasure, Kos," said Archer.

Archer headed to his ready room to prepare his report to Star Fleet Command. Reporting the deaths of the two crews was not going to be a pleasant task. But at least the families would have the satisfaction of knowing what had happened to their loved ones.

And those deaths had not been in vain. Because of their sacrifices Earth had made a new friend among the denizens of the galaxy. And their new relationship with the Medusans might just prove to be very beneficial in the future.

**The End**


End file.
